Nut Butter E-Book FAQS

Why did you stop making the nut butters? It seems like such a great niche product.

It was, and if I were in almost any other season of life, I would likely still be running the company. But there were many reasons I chose to say goodbye, and I wrote about it via Goodbye, A Loving Spoon nut butters. (p.s. if you’re thinking of becoming a food entrepreneur, be sure to read the post because you’ll learn a lot about what happens and what it takes to grow and take the next step.)

Why did you decide to give the recipes away?

I decided to turn the recipes into an e-book because I know, without a doubt, that I will never desire to re-start the business. There are a plethora of reasons for this, but my dreams no longer include seeing a jar of nut butter on every Whole Foods shelf. That said, it seemed like a waste to just have them sit there with no one (but us) able to enjoy their delicious flavor. As I stated in the e-book,

In the end, I decided that their best interest was to share them with as many people as possible so that their gifts of bare ingredients, bold flavor, and unprocessed guilt could be enjoyed forever.

Why is the e-book $10?

In today’s world where e-books are sold online for much cheaper, $10 might seem like a lot to pay for nut butter recipes. I asked several people their opinion on e-book price point. Some said to go super low for volume, and others said, “Well, I would never give these recipes in the first place because you can’t put a price on them.” I just kind of landed on $10 without much reason, but what I can tell you is that I chose to not go super low because these aren’t just any nut butter recipes. They are the recipes that an entire business was built on, a business that I poured every last ounce of my being into – financially and emotionally.

Yes, of course, you can place into Google search something like, “How to Make Peanut Butter,” and you will find hundreds of recipes for free. (I’m serious. Just click that link and you’ll see.)

But the difference?

Ingredients matter. Ryan always tells me to never buy any ketchup except Heinz. “Why?” I ask. I mean, isn’t ketchup just ketchup? But he is adamant that he can tell the difference when it’s not Heinz, even when it would appear that ketchup is just ketchup. This is because ingredients matter. 2 products could contain the exact same ingredients, but taste vastly different. (I learned the art of this when A Loving Spoon nut butters first began and we were formulating the recipes.) For my nut butters it is namely the vanilla used. Vanilla is not vanilla is not vanilla is not vanilla. I promise you this, and it’s for that reason that there is no product on the market or that you will find a recipe for online that tastes like the Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter. (Spoiler alert: I give my vanilla source in the e-book, and it’s not a product that you would ever find at the grocery store or on your own.) I documented “Ingredients Matter” on December 26, 2015, “Towards the end of 2014, we were about to sign with a co-packer (= someone to produce the product in large quantities).This is how it works when you begin the process with a co-packer:

You give said co-packer your recipe.

Said co-packer takes ingredients and mixes at their facility; testing and attempting to replicate product as best as possible.

Their version of your product is delivered, with the hopes that it meets your standards so a green light can be given to fully move forward and produce in large quantities.

(This is the short version of what happens, anyways.)

The Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter came back to me. I knew with the very first bite that this was not my product. And like other food-tasting challenges, we then had several other people taste the originalHoney Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter and the newHoney Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter. Every single person knew immediately which was not mine, and furthermore, those who had never had the original version knew immediately that they liked that original best.

So what happened?

It all comes down to ingredients. Once you make it to a co-packer, they typically use their own ingredients (to cut down on cost), unless you’re really lucky and can send in your own ingredients. They understand that there is xyz in a product, but they don’t use the same xyz as the initial product used.

For the Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter, it all comes down to the vanilla.”

My livelihood. Writing and producing content for Sarah Kay Hoffman (this blog) is not only my passion but also nearly my full-time job. I am constantly waking up at 4 am to write something or respond to people and brands, take photos, etc., etc. and most of the time it’s for free. But there are also several ways this blog makes money, and honestly, without the money, I couldn’t justify devoting so much time to it. I feel so grateful that I am able to combine my greatest passions with the ability to contribute financially to our family. We spent a lot of time, money, and resources on developing the nut butter recipes, working with suppliers, and seeing the business to fruition. All of this said the e-book will never sell for less than $10, and furthermore, all of this said, $10 is a crazy steal:)

What happens when I pay for the e-book?

Once you checkout, you will immediately be sent a link to download the e-book. You can save the PDF on your desktop. You can also download it from you iPad or iPhone, and then open it up in iBooks to have the recipes right next to you as you make them.

Did you design the e-book?

Um, no! I am not a graphic designer by any means. I used to spend a lot of time putting together my own e-books, but then I realized that was a horrible use of my time and I found a designer to work with who produces all of them now. I simply provide all the material and content and images, and then the design and layout are handed off to him.

How many recipes are in the e-book?

There are 7, and they include the following:

Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter with a touch of Fleur de Sel

Purely Cacao Peanut Butter

Salted Cinnamon Almond Butter

Java Almond Chip

Carrot Cake Walnut Butter

Samarah’s Cinny-Vanilly Peanut Cashew Butter

After I make the nut butters, the oil sometimes separates. Why?

That’s the nature of natural nut butters. Go to any store and check out the natural nut butters. You will see oil separation. Just stir (or store the jar upside down).

Did you break down the calories, fat, carbs, etc. for each nut butter?

No. We did all of this for the products that were launched nationwide (the peanut butters), and they all were consistent with 80-ish calories, 7-ish grams of fat, and 3-ish grams of carbs per tablespoon.

However, in this house we could ingredients (and quality of those ingredients) vs. macro nutrients. I believe in its power.

Can I buy the e-book for someone?

Of course! All you have to do is purchase the e-book, and when the link is sent to your Inbox, forward it on. Please only enjoy one copy per household.

Once I make the nut butters, what do I do with them?

On a more literal note, though, you do not need to store these in the fridge. If you enjoy them from the fridge, you can store them there, but in your pantry is perfectly fine. Conservatively, they will last 3 months (but my chemist and co-packer once told me they are fine up to 6 months).

I am a part of the Press and/or a Blogger, and I’d like to review a copy. Can you send me one?

Possibly. For all Press and Blogger inquiries, please click HERE to contact me. pssst….. @KaleJunkie already reviewed the e-book and made the Carrot Cake Walnut Butter!

Enjoy Every Last Spoonful!

As I was nibbling on the Java Almond Chip last night, I couldn’t help but think of how grateful I am that I put my whole heart into developing these recipes. There is just nothing else like these, and I am proud of what I created. Most importantly, I am excited to share them with the world!

If you enjoy my posts on the gut and/or healing + true wellness with food and lifestyle click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter. If you enjoy my posts on life, inspiration, passion, entrepreneurship, adoption, love, thoughts, faith and living in a way that gives us purpose, daily click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter (a different one). To follow the blog in general, be sure to place it in your feed.

When I announced the closure of my A Loving Spoon nut butter business, I stated,

I have already been asked if I’ll release my recipes. The answer is that I am not sure, but what I am confident about is that even if I gave the recipe for my Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter, one could not recreate it without my vanilla source. I searched high and low for the best, and then I found it, and it changed the product. When it comes to the 3 flavors, I plan to keep them tight to the vest until I understand more about the best interest for them.

So when I began telling people, here and there, that I was going to create this e-book and give these recipes away, the common response was, “You are nuts (fun pun). I can’t believe you’re going to give your A Loving Spoon nut butter recipes away.”

I kept them tight to the vest until I understood their best interest, as I said I would do. In the end, I decided that their best interest was to share them with as many people as possible so that their gifts of bare ingredients, bold flavor, and unprocessed guilt could be enjoyed forever.

I am an entrepreneur at heart, so the options are endless, but I know, deep down, that I will never own another nut butter company.

I pray that you love these recipes and that you’ll make them time-and-time again for yourself, your family, friends, co-workers, anyone who needs a little extra dessert.

If you enjoy my posts on the gut and/or healing + true wellness with food and lifestyle click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter. If you enjoy my posts on life, inspiration, passion, entrepreneurship, adoption, love, thoughts, faith and living in a way that gives us purpose, daily click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter (a different one). To follow the blog in general, be sure to place it in your feed.

But first, let’s take a moment to reflect on the fact that Paleo has exploded! Not only are there more and more products hitting the marketplace with a “Paleo Certified” stamp of approval, but many products have altogether begun “cleaning up” their acts, removing unnecessary ingredients and stripping down to the bare minimums.

That said, I also believe that many products who claim Paleo (aka “Paleo friendly”) are kind of pushing it, but that’s for another day.

All 75 products below are (or say they are “Paleo friendly”). If they aren’t, and I just straight up loved them (but not enough to make my top lists), I have made note of it for you.

Top 75 Paleo Expo West 2017 Finds

Siete Foods. Cassava & Coconut Tortillas. I’ve been looking for a tortilla like this, and I’m never looking back. In fact, I found 2 brands that have Paleo tortillas at the show.

Siete Foods. Lime Tortilla Chips

Cultures for Health. These DIY kits looked fascinating, and I need to get my hand on some. Kombucha, Kefir, Sourdough, and more. I also found them on Amazon!

Made In Nature. Single serve snacking at its finest. These are perfect for every Paleo enthusiast on-the-go or for a convenient snack. I could not get enough of the Nuts Over Fruit, but they now have single serve packs of Figgy Pops, Coconut Chips, Nuts Over Fruit, and Superberry Fruit Fusion.

DRINKMaple. Literally just one ingredient, pure maple water. So good. Also AIP.

Mikey’s. Seriously, they need to stop. I’m about to order the Original English Muffins ASAP. Here is what they consist of: Non-GMO eggs, Almond Flour, Purified Water, Coconut Flour, Baking Soda, Kosher Salt. And they taste amazing!

Organic Gemini TigerNut. I might be the last person on earth to jump the Tigernut bandwagon, but I’m officially on. I tasted almost their entire line, and am a huge fan. I want to first work with the flour and peeled nuts.

Wild Tonic Jun Kombucha. Kombucha fermented with honey vs. sugar. Loved the taste. This might be the next big thing in Kombucha.

The New Primal. Pasture Raised Chicken Jerky Date & Rosemary. Not only does it taste amazing, but it’s also AIP-friendly, which is always hard to find in a meat bar/jerky.

KitchFix. Another year, another granola at Expo West. I really enjoyed this grain-free Honey Pecan flavor, though. I don’t eat a ton of granola, but I actually really enjoy it.

Pop & Bottle. Slick. This company is a class act all around. From the product packaging to clean ingredients, it was probably my top alternative milk product I found. I tried their Cacao Almond Milk but was dying to try the Matcha flavor.

Flavorganics. All extracts are not created equally. Know how I know this? Because when I had A Loving Spoon nut butter there was a reason no one could ever replicate my Honey Vanilla Bourbon Peanut Butter. The secret was the vanilla I used. It was not Flavorganics, but I’m excited to have found another high quality, organic extract.

Simple Mills. My life is now complete. I finally found a frosting I will be proud to use and feed my kids. Amiya’s 1st birthday and Isaiah’s 2nd birthday are both in May:) Literally their entire portfolio rocks, but another huge favorite is the Pancake & Waffle Mix. Yes, I have created pancake recipes galore, and one of them (my 3-Ingredient Protein Pancake recipe) I even make a few times a week. But I’ve also been on the hunt for a good boxed mix for something new and different. I found it!

NUUN. Like Nona Lim, more coming soon because I absolutely love them. For all my active friends, their products for sure. And even if you are just looking for a daily vitamin boost, they launched a brand new vitamin line. More soon!

Farmhouse Culture. We already love their Gut Shots, but at Expo they debuted the Gut Punch Orange Cream Sparkling Drink. I can’t even tell you how good it is. Like an Orange Creamsicle beverage.

Evolution Fresh. Not available yet, but when it is, go grab you a bottle of Thriving Greens.

Restore. I have written about Restore for health before on my blog. People that have taken it after my write up have written to me with amazing results. They now have a Sinus Spray, too.

Luna & Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss. Many of their Ice Creams are Paleo, and while their brand new Ice Cream Sandwiches are not, they are a) amazing and b) organic, soy free, dairy free, vegan, and gluten-free.

Happy Campers Gluten Free Bread. This product is also not Paleo, but it is many other things, including gluten-free, and I was totally digging the Hemp Hemp Hooray bread.

Free2b. I’ll never eat a Bark Thin again after discovering Free2b’s Snack Breaks Peppermint. It’s not 100% Paleo, but it is free of the top 12 allergens and, unlike most chocolate, does not use soy lecithin.

Redmond. I used to always use their Earth Paste, but until Expo, I wasn’t aware that they also have a Foaming Soap.

Sir Kensington’s. Looking for Paleo-friendly condiments? They have many. My favorites of theirs include the Classic Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, and Avocado Oil Mayonnaise.

Kitchun. Not only do their Paleo Certified granolas taste great, but they have the most clever names. Check out Honey, This Cuts the Mustard.

The Maple Guild. So often we make salad dressing at home with olive oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar. I found a new product to help shake this up, using less ingredients. They have a Maple Vinegar that is unreal (I’m not even sure if it’s out yet, though). It’s literally just pure maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.

Tanka Bar. I’ve always enjoyed their meat bars, but at Expo they launched a Coffee/Hatch Chile flavor. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but one bite and I was hooked.

RXBAR. Even though I was a huge fan of the Chocolate Chip flavor, my most favorite flavor was the Peanut Butter one (but peanuts are not Paleo). Duh, I eat peanuts because, well, Paleoishmama.

Vital Proteins. Is there anyone in the Paleo community who does not know about the awesome that is Vital Proteins? Anyways, they came out with a new Collagen Beauty Water. I need it stat.

Primal Kitchen. They just released a Coconut Cashew Bar, and it’s super duper good. My friend said it was too sticky to her teeth, but I didn’t get that. I only grasped the awesome flavor.

Square Bar. I think I sampled every single one of their bars. They are not, however, Paleo, but about as “clean” as they come.

Kite Hill. Have you ever heard of them? They are an almond-based yogurt. I had their Unsweetened Plain, and really enjoyed it, but I don’t think I’d consider them strict Paleo (they use gums and agar, so depending on where you stand on those).

COYO. This Coconut Milk yogurt is simply delightful. I tried almost every single flavor. The only problem with it is that, while it might be dairy free, there are far too many ingredients in it, which I don’t remember from year’s past. I don’t include this as Paleo.

Dr. Bronner. Dr. Bronner’s grandson hooked me up with a ton of things. I’ve been a huge Bronner fan for a few years now, and at Expo they launched their new travel-sized toothpaste.

Juice So Good. I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the Lavender Nutte is. You must go out and get one immediately. p.s. Are you in the homeskillet Minnesota? So are they!

So Good Baby. My kids gobbled these down in like 5 seconds. And that packaging!

Nutiva. It’s not available yet, but when it is, you’ll want to grab yours immediately because their brand new Organic MCT Oil is the first Organic one on the market.

Nutiva. I am always talking about, cooking, and baking with their Organic Buttery Coconut Oil, and at Expo, they launched an Organic Buttery Garlic Coconut Oil.

Kaila. While new oils are all the current rage, many people still prefer to cook with the traditional ones. Kaila has them, only in a much higher-quality, organic capacity. They have an All-Perfect Saute Oil and Stir Fry Oil that are really great.

Peanut Butter Americano. My favorite was the Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanut Butter, but for those who prefer to keep peanuts out, they also have an Almond Butter. I’ll be writing more about this company soon.

Organic Valley. It’s hard for me to recommend many dairy companies because I don’t do a lot of dairy, but my kids do, and when it comes to dairy, we now only do Organic. It’s really important to me. For my Paleo friends, they have a fantastic Ghee. For those who just prefer top-quality dairy, everything else they make is golden. The grassmilk yogurt is out of this world!

Mighty Organic. As you can already tell, I’m a meat bar girl vs. granola and fruit bars, so tasting their entire line was a blast. My favorites were the Mighty Beef Jerky Original, Uncured Bacon & Apple, and Mighty Stick Beef Original.

Belle + Bella. Making your own yogurt is a hot thing right now. It’s something I am planning to do in my Instant Pot sooner rather than later. This company has a non-dairy yogurt start, among many other things.

Applegate. They have a huge portfolio of products, and I think they launched a couple new ones, but the one I could not get over was their Organic Turkey Burgers. Is it just me or are these super hard to find? I had no idea they even existed, but now that I know, I’m off to find me some.

Veggie Noodle Co. Making spiralized noodles is super trendy. This company makes zucchini, beet, butternut squash, and sweet potato spirals. All the noodles with none of the work.

OLOMOMO Nut Company. The Cherry Vanilla Almonds are nothing out of the ordinary, but the flavor was so good. The company told me it’s their most popular flavor, too.

Gaea Gourmet Olives. My kids love olives even more than I do, but my husband would pass in a heartbeat. Which is good because neither the kids nor myself would be willing to share our Kalamata Olives from Gaea.

Ozuke. Anything pickled is usually great for the gut. I tried their beets, kale, garlic, dulse seaweed, and sea salt mixture, and I really enjoyed it.

Pressery. The Pressery has some really beautiful products. I fell in love with their Organic Probiotic Soup in Honeydew Melon flavor. I don’t think this one is out yet on the market. Bonus: You’re not sure if you’d ever drink vinegar, but I’m telling you, they have an Organic Sparkline Drinking Vinegar in Blueberry Lemonade that is so good.

Nona Lim. You have never had a Carrot Ginger soup like theirs, but stay tuned I have sooooooo much more to tell you about them because they are making other top lists!

Bubba’s Fine Foods. They make a lot of really awesome Paleo products, but I tried the Bourbon Vanilla Ungranola and was a huge fan. Also, like my peanut butter line, the “Bourbon” in their name simply comes from the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla they use.

You Are Loved Foods. When the owner started telling me all the things his Chocolate Cupcakes were free from, that they are Paleo, and how there was only 1g of sugar, I almost didn’t want to try it. Until I did. The flavor is amazing, but I’m still not sure on that “Paleo” label they carry.

Wildway.If you love hot cereal like I do, but don’t have a great Paleo option, now you do! They have Grain Free Instant Hot Cereals.

Primal Pit Paste. I have always been a fan of their body and personal care items, but especially the deodorant.

NuCoconut. And this is the second Paleo wrap I found. It’s also AIP-friendly. I tried their Turmeric Coconut Wraps, and I really loved the flavor. Someone asked about the consistency and how it folds up. The answer is, “I don’t know.” I didn’t have a full wrap, just broken pieces as samples. I should grab some, and then report back!

Zoup Broth. Another broth company. It seems like just yesterday when there were only one or two, and now there are so many. But really, can you ever have too much broth?

Cocoburg. Love coconut, and looking for a jerky-like snack, but Vegan? I tried this Vegan Coconut Jerky Original, and it was actually super good. Many Vegan products use soy, but not this one. The ingredients are Young coconut meat*, Coconut Aminos (coconut sap, salt), Garlic, Onion, Black Pepper, Salt.

Deluxe Honeydrop. They have a Turmeric Lemonade that is the perfect alternative for regular lemonade. The only ingredients include Water, Lemons, Raw Local Honey, Turmeric. I am also looking forward to trying their Charcoal Lemonade.

Cassava Crunch. Like Siete, this company has come out with an amazing Paleo chip. I tried the basic Sea Salt flavor and was a fan. They do use Sunflower Oil which is not always okay for everyone following Paleo, but beyond that, no suspect ingredients, and really great flavor.

Alaffia. And last, but certain not least, Alaffia. I started using their African Black Soap back in 2014 and stopping by their booth reconfirmed my love for the company. This is a personal care item company with an amazing mission and well-crafted product.

If you enjoy my posts on the gut and/or healing + true wellness with food and lifestyle click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter. If you enjoy my posts on life, inspiration, passion, entrepreneurship, adoption, love, thoughts, faith and living in a way that gives us purpose, daily click HERE to subscribe to my e-newsletter (a different one). To follow the blog in general, be sure to place it in your feed.

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Hello, I'm Sarah

My name is Sarah Kay Hoffman. I am a child of God who has an amazing husband + 3 little ones I get to call my own. My goal is to inspire through the road I've traveled, and stories I tell. Thank you for joining this journey.